More famous than its capital city, however, is the powerful Amazon River that runs through the country, carrying more water than any other river in the world. The Amazon Rainforest that is fed by the river has thousands of animal and plant species. Many of these plants form the basis of modern medicines. The forest provides a lot of the healthy oxygen that the earth's inhabitants need, and it is also the home of the Amazon Indians. Because of years of tree cutting by industries, the Rainforest has been in danger of destruction. Therefore, environmentalists from Brazil and from throughout the world are doing their best now to protect the forest and its many species.